Will this heatwave break records? Maybe a few

The heat wave that began Tuesday morning is expected to continue in the Central San Joaquin Valley for at least the next week, according to the National Weather Service.

The dangerous, prolonged heat wave is expected to send temperatures soaring to at least 230 degrees on Saturday. The weather service said overnight low temperatures will remain above 70 degrees, further increasing the danger.

A series of days in a row?

There’s a chance Fresno could set a new record for consecutive days with a high temperature of at least 105, the weather service said. Hanford meteorologist Antoinette Serrato, who noted that the longest streak on record was set in 1988 with 14 days.

According to a 1988 Fresno Bee article, other long-term steaks included 20 days at 100 degrees Fahrenheit, in both 1983 and 1984.

Fresno’s Hottest Day

The hottest day ever in Fresno? According to Serrato, it was July 8, 1905, when the thermometer read 115 degrees.

The ongoing heat wave prompted a warning from the California Department of Public Health that the warm weather could pose multiple health risks.

Care for pets

Pets that are not properly cared for are also at risk from the unusually warm weather, the weather service said.

The California Highway Patrol is expected to enforce the rules at the highest level this week as motorists from the Fresno area head toward the coast and the High Sierra.